Wrench.



PATBNTED APR, 14, 1903.

R. J. NORTHAM.

WRENCH.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 24, 1902.

N0 MODEL.

fn. imm, 0%. QM n u m Uiuirrn Fracties Farrar firmen.,

ROBERT J. NORTHAM, OF HOLLYVOOD, CALIFORNIA,

WRENCH.

lI-ECIFIGATION formingpart of Letters Patent N o. 725,124, dated April14, 1903.

Application filed July Z4. 1902.

To LZ/Z when?, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ROBERT J. NORTHAM, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Hollyg wood, in the county ofLos Angeles and State of California, have invented a new and usefulWrench, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a wrench provided Vwith a movable jaw which isadapted to be Another object is to provide a device which Y is simple inconstruction,eft'ective in operation, and durable.

Referring to the drawings, Figure I is a side elevation of the wrench.Fig. Il is a View showing the wrench as applied to a hexagonal nut, aportion of the wrench being' shown in section. Fig. III is a Viewshowing a modication, portions of the wrench being in section. Fig. IVis an another modification. Fig. V is a perspective of the pivotal jaw.

1 is a head carried by the handle 2. The head 1 is provided with ahollow extension 3, through which passes the shank 4L of a movable jaw5. The shank eis threaded, as at 6.

7 is a knurled revoluble nut which lies within a slot 8, formed in theextension 3, and engages the thread 6 of the shank 4 for actuating themovable jaw. The jaw 5 may preferably be provided with a series of teeth9.

10 is a pivotedjaw which is provided with a rearwardly-extending leaf11. The rear face of the jaw 10 adjacent to leaf 11 is preferably cutaway on opposite sides, as at 12, and circular recesses provided. Theleaf 11 may be perforated, as at 13.

14 is a series of teeth formed on the face of the jaw 10.

The head 1 of the Wrench is provided with a slot 15, in which lies theleaf 11. Projecting from the front of the head is a pair ofoppositely-arranged ears 16.

ject into and lit the curved recesses 11 in the jaw 10. The ears 16 forma pivotal support for the jaw 10 and give a very strong These ears pro-SerialNo.1l6,8/15. (No model.)

bearing, against which the jaw bears when under pressure.

The jaw 10 may be retained in position by means of the screw 17, whichmay pass through theears 16 and the perforated leaf 1l.

AExtending from the rear of the leaf 1l is a projection 18, forming ashoulder. Projecting upwardly into the slot 15 from the lower portion ofthe head 1 is a pin 19, which forms a guide and support for aA coiledspring 20, which encircles the same, one end bearing against the head 1and the other end bearing against the shoulder formed by the projection18. This spring serves to hold `the jaw 10 normally is the positionshown in Fig. I, in which position'an inverted V-shaped opening isformed between the two jaws.

The wrench is applied to a cylindrical body, such as apipe, in themanner shown in Fig. I. By turning the wrench clockwise thejaws grip thetube and revolvethe same clockwise. The pressure against the teeth 14holds the jaw tightly against the head l, as shown.

When it is desired to use the wrench. upon a nut, the movable jaw 5 maybe suitably adjusted to take over the nut, and the knurled nut 7 may beoperated to retract the movable jaw 5, which squeezes the nut betweenthe jaw 5 and the jaw 10. The wrench is placed over the nut in such amanner that the nut lies above the point upon which the jaw 10 ispivoted-that is to say, the nut should be as close as possible to theshank 4, so that when the nut is squeezed tightly between the jaws thejaw 10 will be swung outwardly in such a manner that its face will bebrought into a positionsubstantially parallel with the face of the jaw9. This action of the jaw 10 is automatic and enables the wrench toaccommodaten articles which do not have exactly parallel surfaces whichmay be gripped, so that articles of irregular surfaces may be readilygripped between the jaws. It will be observed, however, thatirregular-shaped articles or such articles as nuts, which have parallelfaces or faces nearly parallel, should be inserted between the jaws asnear the shank 4 as possible in Horder that the jaw 10 may partake ofits pivotal movement. When the wrench is removed, the spring 2O retractsthe jaw 10 into its normal position.

IOO

` and affords a convenient hammer-face, so

that, if desired, the Wrench may be used as a hammer.

Fig. III shows a modified form of attaching the jaw to the head, inwhich the jaw 10 is provided with a knuckle 22, which projects in acorresponding recess 23, formed in the head. The jaw is prevented frombeing withdrawn or from becoming loose from the head by means of theshank 4, which covers the upper edge of the knuckle. When it is desiredto remove the jaw 10, the movable jaw 5 is removed from the wrench andthe jaw 10 then readily removed.

Referring to the modification shown in Fig. IV, the wings 16 of the head1 are made larger and have a larger curve and the pivotal jaw 10 isprovided with a larger curved recess to t the wings, so that a greaterbearing-surface is secured and much stronger construction attained. Thepivotal jaw 10 also has an enlarged end 24, which has a bearing-face 25,which is adapted to bear against one side of the extension 3 when thejaw 10 is tilted into a parallel position, as when the wrench is appliedto a hexagonal nut. This construction gives a much stronger support forthe jaw than any of the constructions previously described and is apreferred form of construction.

I do not desire to limit myself to the specific form of fastening thejaw to the head, and it is obvious that variations in the specilic formand arrangement of the embodiment herein shownfand described may be madewithout departing from the spirit of my invention.

The engaging faces 9 and 14 of the jaws are straight from point to heel,and the Vjaw 10 is pivoted at the heel on the side opposite its engagingface, so that the wrench is made practical for use either as a pipe ormonkey wrench on any irregular-shaped object of any size within thelimits of the wrench.

The extension 24 projects up from the heel, so that when the strain isbrought on the wrench the same is borne by the extension engaging withthe handle and not by the pivot.

Ina Wrench, the combination of a head, a jaw slidably mounted in thehead, means for adjusting the jaw in the head, a rectangular jawprovided with a leaf, said head having an elongated slot into which saidleaf projects, oppositely-arranged ears projecting from said head intocurved recesses in said jaw, one end of said latter jaw being pivoted tothe head near said adjusting means, said head having two bearing-facesto support said rectangular jaw, one of said faces being parallel withthe gripping-surface of the firstnamed jaw, the other bearing-face beinginclined whereby the rectangular jaw is supported in two operativepositions, said rectangular jaw being parallel with the slidable jawwhen in one position and being inclined to the slidable jaw when in theother position.

In testimony whereo` I have signed my name to this specification, in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses, at Los Angeles, in the county ofLos Angeles and State of California, this 18th day of July, 1902.

ROBERT J. NORTHAM.

Witnesses:

G. T. HACKLEYL JAMES R. TowNsEND.

